He stared at Emma's lips, still red and glistening from his kisses, then met her hazy, tear-bright eyes. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice came out even rougher than before. "Emy…" Calum's hoarse voice broke off for a second as he looked at her. "After you have the cub, we'll complete our bonding, all right?" He spoke softly, searching her face for any sign of doubt. Emma's eyes crinkled with her smile. The watery look in them turned to dazzling joy, as if she'd scooped up all the stars in the night. "Sure." Her answer was clean and direct, with not the slightest hesitation. After all, this was exactly what she'd planned. Calum looked at her in disbelief, excitement washing over him. He wrapped her tight in his arms, resting his chin on her head and rubbing it a little, then let go quickly. Now he finally understood what those guys in the army meant when they talked about how wild their feelings could get after being single for so long. Once it started, it was impossible to stop. Calum didn't dare hold her any longer. It had taken every bit of his self-control not to let himself go completely. Emma waited for him to calm down before finally remembering to ask, "I overheard you talking to the Empire's high officials about NexusPrime Tech. What's going on? "Isn't that Damian's company?" When Emma brought it up, Calum remembered what Corvin had told him yesterday—Damian had once been her suitor. He'd checked with Lucien; there were only two days left before Emma and Damian's bond would officially end. So was Emma still thinking about Damian? Calum kept his expression neutral as he explained, "Damian's NexusPrime Tech is in trouble. He offered 60 percent of the company's profits to Lucien and me if we help him fix it." After he finished, he watched Emma's face carefully, then added, "Emy, I don't even need the money. If you don't want me to take it, I'll tell Damian to keep it. I'll help him for free." "Why wouldn't you take it?" Emma shot back. "You took care of those higher-ups for him. It's only fair for him to pay you." After all, Calum hadn't just scared off a bunch of nobodies. Those people weren't easy to deal with; there'd definitely be more trouble later. If Damian wanted to pay him for it, Emma thought that was perfectly reasonable. She leaned into Calum's arms, smiling. "You're worried I still care about Damian, aren't you? But I've already cut ties with him. That's all in the past. "Whatever you guys want to do—as long as it's not something crazy—go for it." She wouldn't interfere in things she couldn't help with. … That day, Corvin was the one who stayed with Emma. He barely left her side all day, but she still hadn't spotted him—even by bedtime. She asked Marcus, who was stretched out on the couch, "Marcus, have you seen Corvin?" Marcus pointed toward her bedroom. "He went in there before dinner and never came out." What is Corvin doing in my room? Emma frowned. "I got it," she said. As she headed for her room, Marcus suddenly grabbed her wrist and looked at her with pleading eyes, tapping his forehead. "Ms. Tibarn, will you give me a kiss?" Emma laughed and sat beside him, pressing a kiss to his forehead, then to his lips. She'd already given Marcus a mental comfort session that day, and his mental state was about what she'd expected—those ice thorns were growing again. However, after the comfort session, they'd all melted away. Emma made a note to check in and help Marcus every so often. She'd done the same for Drake. Her mental power was getting stronger—now she could do two comfort sessions in a day.Lucien and Calum were both okay for now, so they didn't need her help yet. Marcus didn't keep Emma long. He soon let her go rest. Emma opened her bedroom door and frowned at the empty room. Didn't Marcus say Corvin was here? Where could he have gone? She was about to turn around and look for him when she saw the blanket on her bed shift. A little lump wriggled under the covers, like a kitten moving around. "Corvin?" Emma called out softly. "Emma, it's me." Corvin's voice came from under the blanket. She hurried over and flipped the blanket back, finding a little light-blue liger beast curled up on her bed, staring up at her. She was stunned. He's so cute, I just want to snuggle him!